James Gunn’s Superman has hit a massive box office milestone in its third theatrical weekend. The DC franchise has been in a rough state for about a decade now. Although Man of Steel made a healthy chunk of change at the box office in 2013, it was below Warner Bros. lofty expectations and was critically very divisive. Still, things could’ve recovered, but Batman v Superman and Justice League continued to totally miss expectations along with bad reviews. After a bunch of back and forth on whether that universe would continue in earnest, it was decided that James Gunn would help shepherd a total reboot that would begin with a new Superman film.
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As a result, a lot is riding on this movie. It has to earn back the trust of fans and get people excited about a new era of DC. So far, it seems to have done that. Superman received great reviews, a warm reception from general audiences, and has managed to make fans hopeful for what comes next. As of right now, Supergirl is the next movie planned for the franchise and there are plans to introduce Wonder Woman and Batman in future films. Gunn is also working on his next DC project, indicating that DC and Warner Bros. are confident in the future of the franchise.
Superman Crosses $500 Million at the Box Office
With all of that said, much has been said about Superman‘s box office. It made a whopping $220 million in its opening weekend which is a ton of money, but was an early indicator this wasn’t going to go on to be a billion dollar film. However, that doesn’t mean Superman can’t be a success. The film has crossed the $500 million dollar threshold at the box office, something that hasn’t been seen in a DC movie since The Batman in 2022. It’s also the first non-Batman related DC film to cross $500 million dollars since 2018’s Aquaman, which grossed over a billion dollars. Superman brought in an additional $24.9 million domestically and $19.8 million internationally to help cross that $500 million line, which is an impressive hold now that The Fantastic Four is dominating in theaters and took all of Superman‘s IMAX screens.
It was reported earlier this month that Warner Bros. wanted Superman to make around $500 million, so this aligns with the studio’s expectations. Now, it’ll be a question of what legs it has and if it can hit the $600 million mark before the end of its run. It’s certainly possible, but will require consistent word of mouth. Man of Steel‘s $670 million is likely out of reach unless Superman gets a big second wind. It’s rumored that Superman will debut on streaming services toward the end of August with a physical release in September, meaning its theatrical run will likely wind down in about a month.
Superman is in theaters now. What did you think of the film? Let me know in the comments.
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